Forgotten
by NorthWindBlowing
Summary: Mousepaw has always been the invisible one. Her siblings shine in the eyes of their Clanmates, even though Mousepaw can beat any of them at their own game. She's tired of not being recognized for her achievements, tired of standing aside to let her brothers and sisters take the spotlight. Well, no more. One way or another, she WILL leave her mark on the Clans.
1. Chapter 1

**Before I get into this I'd like to make something clear: OBVIOUSLY WindClan and RiverClan exist during this time period, but until I need them I'm not going to make up cats for them. OBVIOUSLY ShadowClan does have more than just two warriors as well as queens and elders, but as of this chapter they are unimportant to the story. I'll add cats when I need them and update the allegiances as such. **

_**THUNDERCLAN**_

**LEADER: Cloudstar - pale gray tom with amber eyes**

**DEPUTY: Willowheart - dark brown tabby she-cat with gold eyes; ****_Apprentice: Shadowpaw_**

**MEDICINE CAT: Brokenvine - dark ginger tom; _Apprentice: Lightpaw_**

**WARRIORS: Graypelt - gray she-cat**

**Rowanleaf - ginger she-cat; _Apprentice: Mousepaw_**

**Ashheart - black tom; _Apprentice: Foxpaw_**

**Clawfoot - dusty-brown tom; _Apprentice: Stormpaw_**

**Robinwing - brown tabby tom; _Apprentice: Aspenpaw_**

**Bluepelt - blue-gray tom**

**APPRENTICES: ****Lightpaw - pale gray she-cat with amber eyes**

** Aspenpaw - pale brown tabby she-cat with gold eyes**

** Foxpaw - dark brown tabby tom with gold eyes**

**Stormpaw - gray tabby tom with amber eyes**

**Mousepaw - brown tabby she-cat with black paws and hazel eyes**

**Shadowpaw - black tom with green eyes**

**QUEENS: Brightleap - ginger tabby she-cat**

**ELDERS: Yellowbird - old yellow tom**

_**SHADOWCLAN**_

**LEADER: Tornstar - large black tabby tom**

**DEPUTY: Needleclaw - ginger tom**

**MEDICINE CAT: Snowwhisker - white she-cat with gray paws and ears**

**WARRIORS: Sagepelt - dark brown she-cat; _Apprentice: Stagpaw_**

**Badgertooth - black and white tom**

**APPRENTICES: ****Stagpaw - tan tom with white dapples and clear blue eyes**

**CHAPTER 1**

I rise silently to my paws, my gaze flickering over the sleeping forms covering the floor of the apprentice den. My eyes rest for a moment on Shadowpaw, the tom who I like (and who I think likes me back), but I harden my heart. Tonight, I'm going to test whether or not the cats of my clan will actually notice if I'm gone. I won't be there in the morning, and I'll stay away for at least a day or two. I think that will give everyone plenty of chances to wonder where I am.

My name is Mousepaw. I wasn't the biggest kit in the litter, or the smallest. I was just average. In order of birth, it goes Stormpaw (brother), Aspenpaw (sister), me, Lightpaw (sister) and Foxpaw (brother). My parents are Cloudstar and Willowheart, the leader and deputy of ThunderClan. Both are so busy with their duties that they often forgot family things. Like me, for example.

I guess being the very middle kit is what first led them to forget me all the time. I can't blame them too much; they did have four other kits running around, constantly getting into trouble. But as time drew on, it began to seem as though I simply turned invisible, with both my parents and other cats. I can be sitting in the middle of the camp and cats will pass by me without so much as a glance. When I move, those around me will flinch in surprise, not having noticed me at all. I know they don't mean any harm, but still. Do I really just blend into the background?

I slip out the entrance, padding toward the dirtplace. Graypelt, the she-cat on watch duty, doesn't so much as flick an ear in my direction. She just stares straight ahead, totally concentrated on the dangers outside of camp. I enter the dirtplace tunnel and leave camp, hardly even leaving a paw-print to show that I was there. I break into a run as soon as I set paw in the dark forest. I head for the stream that marks the border between ThunderClan land and ShadowClan so I can wash away my scent.

The forest is very dark at night. Thankfully, it's a large moon tonight and the sky is clear of clouds. I hope this fact means that StarClan approves of what I'm about to do. Just in case, I murmur a quick prayer. "StarClan, please bless me as I start this..." I'm not sure what to call it. Journey? Quest? Mission? I settle on: "Well, keep me safe anyway." The breeze drops just a little bit, which I decide to take as a good sign.

Despite feeling quite at home in the dark, I stay close to the shadows cast by trees. I don't want to be carried away by an owl or something. _And if__ I was, I bet nobody would notice I was gone._

I finally arrive at the bank of the stream. Glancing around carefully and scenting the air (and getting nothing but ShadowClan stench) I creep gingerly down to the water. Then I reach in with a single paw, shivering slightly as the chilly water washes over it. I take a deep breath and continue forward until all four paws are totally submerged. I'm about to dip under when I suddenly hear a challenging yowl.

"Hey you! What are you doing in the stream?"

I swing around to see two glowing eyes blinking at me from ShadowClan's side of the water. I can't make out the rest of the cat, but from the voice I can tell it's a young male. "Um," I say, fumbling for a believable lie. "Hunting?"

The eyes flicker out for a moment, then reappear closer. "At _night_ in a _stream?_" the voice is as skeptical as possible. "If you were RiverClan, that wouldn't be weird. But you're ThunderClan, and ThunderClan cats hardly ever come out at night, much less to hunt, much less in a stream."

"I _know_ what Clan I belong to," I state defensively, lashing my tail. "And it's rude to assume that I can't hunt for fish." I lower my head a bit as if in shame, changing my voice to 'pathetic weakling' mode. "But I can only do it at night, because everyone else thinks that fishing is stupid and should only be for RiverClan, but I think I'm finally getting the hang of things!"

There's a pause, and I wonder if the cat actually bought my "innocent apprentice trying to prove herself" sob story. Almost to my relief, the cat huffs in amusement. "Don't give me that mouse-dung," he says. "Why are you really out here?"

I consider lying again, but I get the sense that this cat is very hard to deceive. I lift up my head "Fine. I'm here because my Clanmates have major trouble recalling that I exist. Even when I catch more prey than Aspenpaw and beat Stormpaw in a mock-fight and stay hidden longer than Foxpaw in a hiding competition and know more herbs than Lightpaw _even though she's the medicine cat apprentice_, Cloudstar and Willowheart never acknowledge me. It's always about _everyone_ but me."

The eyes blinked inquisitively. "But... Cloudstar and Willowheart are the _parents_ of them," he mews, coming just a bit closer. "And parents naturally pay more attention to their own kits rather than to others."

The rage I've kept bottled up in my heart since I was in the nursery suddenly comes alive with a roar. _"They are my parents too!" _I screech, way louder than necessary. "But they never pay any attention to _me_, do they? No, it's always 'Stormpaw will grow up to terrify that WindClan scum," and 'Soon Aspenpaw will be able to hunt more prey than any cat in the entire forest,' and 'Foxpaw can hide even better than ShadowClan'" - the cat snorted at that - "and "Lightpaw can talk to _StarClan!" _Well, I exist too! There were _five_ kits born that day, not _four!"_ Ranting finally over, I slump down in the middle of the stream, suddenly exhausted. "I just want my parents to love _me_ too," I whisper at the water.

I hear a splash as the ShadowClan cat enters the stream. Suddenly, I realize that pouring my heart out to a total stranger probably wasn't the best idea, but I can't bring myself to care at the moment. "If you murder me," I mumble, not bothering looking up, "and if ThunderClan comes looking, can you just tell them that my last words were, 'At least you remembered me in death'?"

The voice is quiet for a moment. "Killing yourself to get attention is not the way to solve your problem." He sounds completely sure of himself.

I finally look up at him. It's an apprentice around my age, who's looking very sympathetic about the whole issue. "Then what is?" I whisper, gazing into his earnest blue eyes.

He steps a bit closer and nudges me to my paws. "First of all," he says, "we have to get you out of this water. Were you actually trying to drown yourself?"

I laugh, assuming he's joking, but he shows no amusement in his gaze, only genuine concern. My laughter dies away. "No, I promise," I say as we reach the bank. "I was going to wash away my scent so that I could hide easier."

"Why were you going to hide?"

"To see how long it took for everyone to notice I was gone."

The tom leaps up onto the bank, then turns to face me as I follow. "Well, I can't make everyone suddenly adore you. But I suppose..."

"What?" I'm curious to know what his suggestion might be.

He hesitates, making me more curious. "You could join another Clan." Each word is spoken with precision, as if he thought out exactly how to move his jaw while speaking them. "You seem like you would make a capable warrior. I think that any Clan would be grateful for you."

I give him a look. "If you think that just because I told you my secrets we're suddenly a couple, you're wrong. I would never betray my Clan like that." I may not love my Clan, but I'm no codebreaker.

His look of pure horror reassures me more than his words. "Of course not!" he exclaims vehemently, lashing his tail violently. "I'm not that immature or desperate."

Suddenly another unfamiliar voice breaks into the conversation, this one an adult male. "And it's a good thing too!" We both jump at least two tail-lengths into the air, startled. "Neither of you should be out this late," the voice adds.

The apprentice crouches down, bowing his head in the direction of the speaker. Unsure of what else to do, I copy him. "I am so sorry, Tornstar," says the tom in a rush. "I promise that I'm not betraying..." He continues but I don't pay attention to the words, because I HAVE JUST BEEN CAUGHT BY TORNSTAR ON HIS OWN TERRITORY! This falls under the category of _Extremely N__ot Good._

"I know," says the massive black tabby as he comes into view, eyeing the two of us sternly. "I've been listening to your conversation." He holds up his tail to stop us from defending ourselves. "I was hunting when I heard you" - he nods at me - "yowl about you having parents as well. I thought you were talking to a fellow Clanmate at first, but then I saw Stagpaw." Stagpaw must be the apprentice. Tornstar gives Stagpaw a stern look. "You shouldn't have-"

"But she looked so upset!" Stagpaw interrupts, looking completely terrified. "I couldn't just-"

Tornstar whacks Stagpaw with his tail, silencing the tom. "I wasn't finished," he says. "It's good that you talked to her, but I was going to say that you shouldn't have brought her back onto Clan land if you were planning on continuing the conversation after you came out of the water. That leaves a scent, you know. If could start a battle between our two clans. A battle right now over something so trivial would be quite useless and harmful to both Clans."

Stagpaw hangs his head, but I spot relief in his eyes. "Sorry sir," he said. "I'll do my best to remember that."

Tornstar flicks his tail. "See that you do," he sniffs. Then he turns to me. "As for you, Mousepaw, your parents probably notice more than you think. But they do have five kits plus an entire clan to care for, and trust me when I say that neither task is very simple."

"But is it so difficult for my other Clanmates to remember me? Even Rowanleaf, my mentor, forgets that I'm her apprentice. She gets distracted with the other apprentices, even Lightpaw. I had to teach _myself_ how to hunt birds!"

Tornstar frowns. "It seems to me that you just have a really bad mentor."

I roll my eyes. "Yeah, my dad had to scramble to find me one when he forgot to make me an apprentice at my ceremony. I had to remind him. I think Rowanleaf was the first one his eyes landed on."

Stagpaw touches his nose to my pelt, seeming to forget that Tornstar was watching every move with extreme interest. "I'm sorry to hear that," says Stagpaw earnestly. "I wish I could do something to help."

Tornstar flicks his tail thoughtfully. "Are you really as good at hunting and fighting as you say?" he asks.

I shrug noncommittally. "I'm better than my siblings," I tell him. "No matter what my parents think."

He tilts his head. "Show me."


	2. Chapter 2

**FYI, Mousepaw and her siblings have been apprentices for about three moons when this story starts, the Clans live in the old forest, and the Clans are currently in peaceful times. **

**New cat: **

**Chapter 2**

Time passes quickly as I show Tornstar my hunting skills. We left the Clan territory, staying near to ShadowClan land but far enough away that our scent won't be noticed. It's a perfect night for searching out prey, with just the tiniest breeze and a clear sky. I'm able to catch a mouse and a vole in quick succession. It's similar to having a warrior assessment, but with a mentor who can actually hide.

"Well done," says Tornstar approvingly as I lay my final piece of prey, a second mouse, on the ground in front of him. "You are very fast and you clearly know how to use your claws. Do you practice hunting without your mentor?"

I nod. "All the time," I tell him. "I usually just join Aspenpaw when she has hunting lessons. Robinwing doesn't mind."

"Do you practice fighting on your own as well?" asks Stagpaw, gaze alight with interest.

"Uh-huh. I watch Stormpaw practice all the time and copy the moves that Clawfoot teaches him." I allow a smirk to lift my whiskers for a moment. "Whenever he has battle training during the day, he wants to show them off to all the apprentices in the evening. Me and Shadowpaw are the only ones who will actually fight him, because Shadowpaw's a whole moon older than us and is more experienced, and me because I can fight better than Stormpaw."

Tornstar flicks his tail at me and Stagpaw. "Would you two mind doing a quick mock-battle so I get a feel for your skills?" he requests.

I'm about to agree when I pause. Showing off _hunting_ skills to another Clan in one thing, but showing your skill in _battle_? That's a whole other realm of bad. "I don't think that would be the best idea," I say hesitantly, really not wanting to offend ShadowClan's massive leader. "I'm still ThunderClan, and whatever I think of my Clan, I'm no traitor."

To my relief, he nods understandingly. "That's fine," he agrees. "Frankly, if you had agreed, I would question your ability to be loyal to any Clan." He steps forward, resting his tail on my shoulders. "Let me tell you something, Mousepaw. If you think that ThunderClan is not the right Clan for you, ShadowClan is certainly an option."

I raise my head, meeting his amber gaze hopefully. "Really? You mean it?"

He nods firmly. "But I think that you should probably decide within the next couple of moons or so," he says. "I'm not going to wait for a cat that can't make up her mind."

I'm about to say that I'd be willing to join ShadowClan right away. I even open my jaws and take a breath to do so. But... I'm still ThunderClan. And even though I owe my Clan absolutely nothing, I still want to conduct my experiment, so see exactly how many cats care about me. So instead of agreeing then and there, I go with a simple, "Thank you."

Suddenly brisk, Tornstar nods curtly. Perhaps he sees the reluctance in my eyes or simply wants to get back to his camp, but there is dismissal in his movements. "Very well," he meows. "You'll let me know within the next two moons then?"

"I will," I reply. Two moons should be _plenty _of time. "Thanks again."

He shrugs. "You'll make an excellent warrior. Any Clan would be willing to take you in." He switches his gaze to Stagpaw, who has been watching silently. "Walk her back to her own territory, but try to be back to camp before morning." He glances at the black sky. "It should be here before too long."

Stagpaw nods seriously. He seems to take _everything_ seriously. "Yes sir," he says. He turns to me. "Are you ready?"

I draw in a deep breath. "Yes. Let's go."

As we walk back to my Clan's territory, Stagpaw opens his jaws to speak. "I know you didn't ask for my opinion, Mousepaw," he mews. "But I think that you'd make a great ShadowClan warrior."

I smile gratefully at him. I can tell he's a very solid tom, the kind you can always trust to have your back. "Thank you, Stagpaw," I reply. "I just... I'm not sure yet. I wasn't exactly expecting to get an invitation into ShadowClan tonight," I add to lighten the mood.

He purrs at the joke. "What's it like in ThunderClan?" he asks after a few heartbeats.

"Uh..." I'm not really sure how explain it. "Well, what do _you_ think ThunderClan is like?"

"Well, the elders tell stories about how ThunderClan warriors eat kits just for the fun of it," he meows, looking slightly embarrassed. "And how Cloudstar has such an awful temper that even his own mate is terrified of him."

He seems not to realize that he just insulted my own father, but I honestly don't mind. I dislike Cloudstar too. "Um, that's a definite _no_ to the kit eating," I inform him with a tinge of amusement in my voice. "And yeah, Cloudstar can be a bit grumpy sometimes, but I know for a fact that he once lost a legitimate argument to a kit."

Stagpaw tilts his head, amusement dancing in his gaze. "He lost an argument to a _kit_? What were they arguing about?" he asks.

I try to think back, but it was so long ago. "I'm not really sure," I say hesitantly. "It was something stupid, but the kit still won."

"I bet the kit sure was proud," says the tan tom with a laugh.

I can't quite stop the purr from rising in my throat. "Oh, you should have seen her," I agree. "She didn't exactly brag about it, but you could just tell she knew she had accomplished something. Even some of the senior warriors congratulated her."

Something in my tone catches Stagpaw's attention. "Were _you_ that kit?" he asks gently.

I nod, remembering exactly how much pride I had felt when I outmatched my father verbally. I hadn't gone around talking about it, but word spread around camp anyways, and for a while I walked around with my head and tail held high. But things quickly went back to normal and most cats forgot about it. I'm not sure if Cloudstar ever did get it out of his memory though.

A wave of ThunderClan scent hits my nose, and I'm surprised to see that we're already at my territory. "Thanks for walking me home," I tell Stagpaw, stepping carefully over the scent line. "You better not come any closer, or else the patrols tomorrow will smell ShadowClan and wonder who's been around."

He snorts dismissively. "ThunderClan couldn't smell a mouse if it was a tail-length away," he mutters, probably not intending for me to hear.

I shoot him a stern look, and he grins sheepishly. "Sorry," he says, not sounding sorry in the least. "See you later."

"See you," I repeat, and the ShadowClan apprentice turns and trots off toward his camp.

I watch him until he vanishes into the darkness, then begin making my way in the general direction of camp. About halfway there, I come to a sudden halt, tasting the air and listening carefully to the sounds of the forest around me. Then I whip around and leap into a tree, leaving almost no trace that I was there. I pull myself onto one of the branches, and then wait. Thankfully, I'm not disappointed.

After just a few minutes of hiding, leaves crackle as a familiar russet-furred tom tries to slink by below me. My brother Foxpaw loves to sneak out into the forest and just stalk everywhere, convincing himself of his own greatness. He's certainly cocky and occasionally rude, but he's not necessarily a bad cat. Just really, _really_ annoying.

Suddenly Foxpaw looks up, his amber eyes glinting through the darkness. I freeze, resisting the urge to even blink. After a moment of endless possibilities, Foxpaw lowers his head and stalks away. I raise a brow as his tail brushes against some dry leaves and he accidentally steps on a twig. Yes, for a ThunderClan cat he's fairly decent at hiding, but Stagpaw could run circles (silently, by the way) around him.

Keeping to the trees now that I know my brother is out and about, I continue on my way to camp. I want to be able to watch my Clan wake up so I can see the exact moment that cats realize I'm gone - which, honestly, will probably take a while.

Finally light begins streaking the sky, flooding the forest with golden light. My mother Willowheart, the Clan deputy, appears in the entryway of the warriors' den, squinting around the stone hollow. Then she turns around and vanishes, only to exit heartbeats later with Rowanleaf, my mentor, and Clawfoot in tow. She then heads over to the apprentice den, pokes her head through the door and speaks several muted words, then pulls back and joins Rowanleaf and Clawfoot at the prey-pile.

Shadowpaw, Willowheart's apprentice, drags himself sleepily out of the apprentice den a few moments later, stretching luxuriously and shaking the tiredness out of his pelt. I can't help but admire the way that he stumbles over to the waiting patrol with ease, and the way his fur is adorably messy after a night of rest.

Suddenly realizing what I'm thinking, I shake myself to clear my head. I've got to keep my mind focused and not get distracted by my crush, no matter _how_ handsome he is. Still... I wonder if Shadowpaw _actually_ likes me back, or if it's all just my imagination. My jaw tightens. If he truly does have feelings for me, he'll be one of the first to notice I'm gone.

After Shadowpaw has eaten, Willowheart orders the patrol out of the hollow, telling them to head for the ShadowClan border. She doesn't go with them, but sends Shadowpaw along. She's pretty good at delegating, that's for sure. She glances around the hollow, then ducks into Cloudstar's den to spend some time with him before the day truly starts.

So far, my absence hasn't been noticed, not even by Rowanleaf - which honestly isn't a surprise. The ginger she-cat is _not_ cut out to be a mentor. It's a miracle she was even able to pass her warrior tests with how stupidly naive and forgetful she is. She's exceedingly loyal to ThunderClan though, I'll give her that. She wouldn't hesitate to give her life if it meant saving her clan.

The sun continues to rise, pulling cats out of their dens and welcoming them into the new day. Foxpaw sneaks back into camp via the dirtplace tunnel, yawning and pretending that he hadn't spent the last few hours prowling around the territory. Aspenpaw and Stormpaw both come out of the apprentice den together, looking far too sleek and shiny to have just woken up. Clearly they took time to groom themselves before making an appearance. Lightpaw steps out of the medicine cat den a few moments later, stretches luxuriously, then joins the other three at the fresh-kill pile.

Cloudstar pushes through the lichen hanging over the entrance of his den, surveying the cats below with an unreadable amber gaze. A moment later, Willowheart follows, her dark tabby tail held high. I can tell the exact moment that their eyes land on my siblings, because their expressions change from totally serious to filled with pride and satisfaction. My siblings greet my parents with happy purrs as they go over to them, all fitting into the perfect family unit that I've never held a place in.

My stomach twists with fury at the sight. My claws curl around the branch so hard that some of the bark twists off, but I don't care. I watch, eyes narrow slits, as my parents and siblings all eat together. One big, happy, perfect, _wonderful_ family.

And I hate them so much that it takes my breath away.


End file.
